“When something doesn’t work out, it’s because there’s something better ahead that glorifies God”: Priyanka Annuncia who won Miss Universe S’pore on her second try

In 2022, when Priyanka Annuncia failed to win the Miss Universe Singapore contest, it felt like her world had crumbled overnight.

Having won the Miss Singapore Supranational pageant in 2018 (she was voted Miss Congeniality on the international stage), she placed immense pressure on herself to do better.

“I kept thinking: ‘I’ve already won a pageant before, I must make it into the top five this time. I can’t afford to slip’,” Priyanka, now 28, admitted.

The stress was so much that she was ready to pull out of the competition two weeks before.

When she wasn’t placed in the top five, she was “completely shattered”.

“For the first time in my life, I asked: ‘Is there something wrong with me? Am I not good enough?’

“I was a pretty confident kid growing up – this was the first time I questioned myself.”

At 25, Priyanka had already built a multifaceted career as a personal trainer, a boxing instructor, a public speaking coach, an entrepreneur and more.

Priyanka designed a sports bra for her best friend who is plus-sized. Her friend said, “Pri, I can finally start exercising”, so she created Bodsitive – inclusive, affordable activewear (sizes UK 8 to 24) for every body.

But none of that seemed to count in the face of the Miss Universe loss.

“For two weeks, I didn’t even get up to go to the gym. That said a lot, because I love going to the gym,” said Priyanka.

“It was a big blow.”

Finding herself again

In the days following the loss, Priyanka began reflecting on who she really was.

“Everything in this world can be taken away,” she said. “If I’m not a titleholder, or a coach, or an entrepreneur, what’s left?”

She started going back to her faith – spending more time in prayer and reading the Bible. In those moments, she began to see herself not through the lens of her résumé, but through something far more enduring.

“I realised I don’t need a title to be valuable. I am a child of God, loved by Him no matter what,” she said.

That revelation stripped away her need to be perfect, to seek people’s approval, or to pretend to be someone she wasn’t.

For Priyanka, this was comforting – and liberating.

She was seen, known, loved and valued for simply who she was.

“I am uniquely and wonderfully made by God,” she said, quoting Psalm 139:13-16.

“I came to understand that I am enough. Not because I achieved something, but because I am seen and loved by God, no matter what.”

That truth gave her the confidence and assurance to stand tall again – and start anew.

Where beauty and justice met

When the call for the next edition of Miss Universe Singapore came around, Priyanka was excited by changes introduced by its new organiser – Australia-based Pink Tank Events – to widen the standard of beauty.

Contestants would be trained for personal growth and development in areas like conflict management, public speaking and leadership.

“Basically, you would become the best version of yourself throughout the self-development programme because a lot was being poured into you,” she noted.

If she was crowned, she would go on to represent Singapore at the Miss Universe finals in El Salvador, where contestants would advocate, in a three-minute video, for a cause they champion. This new segment was called “Voice for Change”.

Priyanka knew that if she made it to the international stage, the Miss Universe platform could amplify her voice in fighting human trafficking and speaking up for 50 million people trapped in modern-day slavery.

To be the voice for someone

Growing up, Priyanka learned early that life could be unpredictable.

They include being bullied in school for being “too skinny.”

“When I was of primary school age, I recall calling out to Jesus during a traumatic incident, and feeling a sense of peace,” said Priyanka. “I realised He is the only person I could rely on through my difficulties.”

In her life, she has also personally encountered abuse, harassment and trauma.

But even so, she found herself standing up for others.

“Things that happened to me made me want to be that person I wish I had growing up: To be able to fight for someone, to be a voice for someone, to stand up for someone,” she said.

“As a kid, I loved superheroes – they’re seen as protectors” said Priyanka, dressed as Wonder Woman – one of her favourite superheroes.

Crime documentaries and dramas like Criminal Minds and Law & Order also ignited a passion for justice, and choosing courage, truth and integrity – all values that are found in the Gospel. 

“Jesus Christ is my example of what it looks like to walk with compassion, stand up for the vulnerable, and bring hope into dark places. Knowing that God cares deeply about the oppressed — and invites us to play a part — gives me strength to keep going.”

While working towards a double major in business law and criminology at Murdoch University-Kaplan Singapore, Priyanka also worked as a private investigator for three years to earn some pocket money.

To get licensed, she needed to take a course which included studying the penal code and taking an exam. She worked mainly on missing persons and matrimonial cases.

“I think what I went through made me want to be empowered to learn self-defence, to feel stronger, to step into roles like being a PI,” she said.

Years later, that conviction to stand up for others deepened when someone from Thailand, who became her close friend, shared that he had been trafficked for sex and exploited as a child.

“It hit me hard. I just kept thinking: I wish I could’ve protected him.”

Priyanka helped implement activities with trafficking survivors in Thai shelters, and researched international laws to compare against their local legislation to identify areas for improvement.

So she looked for avenues where she could lend her skills, which led her to volunteer with Alliance Anti-Traffic (AAT) in Thailand, assisting in investigations, training, and rescue and reintegration programmes for survivors of sexual exploitation and trafficking.

TheJusticePortal.org, which she started as a blog to raise awareness of sex crimes, human trafficking and exploitation would also provide informative articles, survivor stories and resources to help victims, survivors and law enforcement.

Looking back, Priyanka saw how her education, her work as a PI and even the painful parts of her past were coming together to equip her for this type of work.

“I didn’t understand it then,” she said, “but I believe God was preparing me to use my experiences to help others.”

Perfectly-timed win

During the 2023 pageant season, Priyanka applied to attend an advocacy summit in Washington DC by International Justice Mission (IJM), a global non-profit that collaborates with governments and law enforcement, equipping them to combat modern slavery in their respective countries.

But her application was rejected. However, it came to the attention of Lydia Bowden, who had started the Singapore branch of IJM. The two arranged to meet to explore how they could collaborate.

Just days later, Priyanka was crowned Miss Universe Singapore 2023. Her win and her advocacy against human trafficking was all over the news. 

That year, she attended IJM advocacy summit that lobbies for acts that protect children globally. She attended the summit again last year.

Winning Miss Universe Singapore 2023 raised Priyanka’s profile and would open unexpected doors internationally, giving her “a seat at the table” to effect change.

Priyanka and Lydia were struck by the perfect timing of the win, and attributed it to “God’s timing”.

“We were like, Wow, this isn’t random. It felt like everything was lined up for a reason.”

Priyanka with Lydia (both left) in 2024, and the Unheard production team, who helped a young couple tell of their experience in a Cambodian scam compound in podcast series, Escaping Scam City.

Looking back, Priyanka sees her setbacks as wins and they all were part of God’s perfect timing.

“When something doesn’t work out, I’ve learned that sometimes it’s because there’s something better ahead – even if I can’t see it yet.

“And if doors close, let them, because every door that has opened has been something that has always glorified Him and His work,” she said.

Her journey “led me to advocating with International Justice Mission – a faith-based organisation with this tenet: ‘It’s our work, God’s weight and Jesus’ way’,” she added.

“In this space, it can be very daunting if you’re trying to carry the burden. It serves as a reminder that we are vessels to do this work. Just give it up to Him, and it will be done in His strength.”  

A seat at the table

Winning Miss Universe Singapore 2023 raised Priyanka’s profile and opened unexpected doors for her, giving her “a seat at the table” to effect change.

Priyanka (in gold) was in the top 10 for Voice of Change at the Miss Universe pageant in El Salvador.

When she went on to represent Singapore at the Miss Universe finals in El Salvador, her assigned security detail – a retired NYPD (New York Police Department) sergeant – recommended her for a training stint in New York City.

There, she underwent training and certification in areas of criminal investigation, special victims and internal affairs. She also had the chance to meet the FBI NYPD Human Trafficking Task Force.

Priyanka (right) on the streets of New York City during her four months with the NYPD.

The experience gave her an in-depth understanding of law enforcement and the realities of combating exploitation.

“Being so well-connected with police from the United States and different parts of the US, as well as police from all over the world, you have such a big network to really effect change.

“I never saw how big this opportunity could be and I owe it all to God, that’s for sure,” she said in an interview with a local fashion magazine.

Through her work with IJM, Priyanka travelled extensively, joining conferences, speaking at engagements, and accompanying potential partners on field trips to deepen her understanding of the fight against trafficking and violence.

Priyanka counts herself blessed to collaborate with organisations that work closely with different governments to bring about change, and contribute to a decline in trafficking – the trafficking of children, in particular.

In India, with survivors of modern-day slavery, who are now economically empowered through the block-printed home goods they create and sell via Mended.co.

When she attends dialogues with government officials or legislators, she is well-equipped with knowledge in law and criminology, recognising what needs to be put in place for victims to be rehabilitated and protected, for perpetrators to be caught and rehabilitated, and how to fight trafficking.

She has also participated in groundwork and rescue training across various countries.

Learning to make mud bricks from survivors of forced labour who now own their own brick mill in India.

“Growing up, I always wanted to travel the world and fight crime. Only God could have made it possible,” she said.

“It’s a calling, and I’m so blessed that I’ve stepped into my calling.

“I realise that I have become who I am today is because I completely surrendered a lot of different aspects of my life to Christ – whether it’s relationships or work.

“If I relied only on my own strength or what I could see in front of me, I think I would’ve burnt out a long time ago.”

A priceless identity

Now, Priyanka hopes to pursue a Masters degree in International Crime and Justice and Human Rights, to be better equipped to protect vulnerable communities.

Just recently, she released her book, Born to Be Real, Not Perfect, which draws on her reflections from the pageant, mornings in the gym, and conversations that left her inspired and broken, and her faith.

She didn’t set out to write a book. These started out as jottings in the Notes app on her phone.

Priyanka speaking with survivors of trafficking in Cebu, during a trip with IJM and Women On A Mission.

“The more I wrote, the more I realised these weren’t just my struggles, they were universal struggles: Comparison. Perfectionism. Learning how to say no. Facing rejection. Wrestling with identity. Choosing to grow instead of staying comfortable …

“This book is for anyone who has never felt enough,” she writes in the preface.

Her hope is that as one reads the book, “you’ll feel like you’re having a conversation with a friend, one who gets it … one who’ll gently remind you: You are already enough.”

She adds: “You are seen and loved by God. That love is eternal, forever and priceless.”

A version of this story first appeared on Stories of Hope

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